


On the Moon

by UmbraTsuki



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Chronological, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-07-11 21:57:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7072039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UmbraTsuki/pseuds/UmbraTsuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You won't back out, right?" "Never."</p><p>A place for various WildeHopps one-shots. Most will not be related to one another, but I'll note if they are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Our Next Hustle

**Author's Note:**

> Title derived from a Japanese tale that involves a rabbit, fox, and monkey who are tested for their kindness. Long story short, the rabbit is taken onto the moon.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Remember this," she did say, aloud, and kissed him once more. "This is real. This is me. This is us."_
> 
> In which interspecies relationships are actually illegal, and Judy has agreed to her parents' plan for safety.

"It's happening."

Tears fell before she could stop them. Both of theirs. Before she could think of the good, before she could come up with a way to say that things would be okay. Before any comfort, no comfort,  _no comfort_. Just disappointment, just loss, just tears. No comfort. So she couldn't say,  _we'll be okay_ , not without it feeling like a lie. And she couldn't lie, not to him.

"I can't—" Judy cut herself off. Saying that she couldn't do something, no matter what it was, felt  _wrong_ , so wrong. Yet those were the only words repeating over and over (and  _over and over and_ _—_ ) in her mind. Endlessly.  _I can't do this_. She didn't need to say it for Nick to know, and instead, she rested her head under his chin, burying her face in the fur and cloth to hide herself.

"We could run away," Nick murmured, but his own heart wasn't in the words. He knew they couldn't, knew that Judy Hopps, of all mammals, couldn't up and leave her family behind like that. Not even for him. Not even if she wanted to. And she knew that he knew that. So his chest released a sigh. His arms wrapped around the smaller figure and held her close, in the corner of the bed they'd shared for so long. (For the last time?  _For the last time_.) "You know," he attempted to tease her, "you never had seemed the clingy type."

The comment earned him a half-hearted punch in the arm.

"Dumb fox," she spoke into his fur, voice muffled, but his ears were focused enough on her that he could still hear. Judy tried to take deep breaths. Sobs tried to break up her breathing, serving difficulty to her on a platter she hadn't ordered. Unwelcome. Along with the distress of the entire situation. "I need—" deep breath, paw suddenly touched by his, small breath (of relief). "I need you. Nick, I—"

"You don't," he corrected. Stroked the pad of her paw, stroked the tip of one of her ears with his other paw. "You're okay." he wished she needed him, but still,  _still_ , this was Judy Hopps. She didn't  _need_ anyone. She won wars for herself, not mere battles, and nothing could stop her from getting what she wanted. Nothing. Except— "This is for your parents." He breathed out slowly. Breathed in slowly, tried to memorize her scents. "Think of it as our next hustle. A few-year hustle." Maybe more. "It's—"

"Not forever," she finished. "But it might as well be. It  _feels_ like—"

"Like forever," Nick agreed. This, he did feel with his entire heart. How could he _not_? Spending any amount of time away was enough. Those three months were enough. Those nine months of academy?  _More_ than enough. Unbearable, nearly. "I know." Another slow exhale. Another deep inhale. He couldn't get enough of her, not  _possibly_ , not now. "But I'll write you. Text you, if they don't block it. I'll—"

"Sneak things to me," Judy remembered what he'd promised before. Her breathing could begin to steady, the pressure forgiving a bit so she could feel some calm. "Sly fox." The former conman's experience made a smile begin to form on the bunny's face, for just a moment. Before reality kicked it away. "I only want you," she pushed herself away from his chest so she could look him in the eyes. His gentle, knowing eyes. "Promise you'll remember that? For me." She couldn't tolerate the idea of Nick thinking she loved someone else; thinking that he wasn't on her mind and in her heart.

He couldn't lie. That would be hard. "I promise to try," he breathed the words out. His gaze averted for a moment; he could only think of loss when he looked at her. He didn't want to remember that this would be the last time he'd get this chance for forever. He looked again, at her beautiful eyes that always caught him off-guard, and tried to memorize the tones. "You know it's..." The fox swallowed. He didn't know how to explain, how to let Judy know that he  _couldn't_ just remember their intimacy, their life, not after he'd have to see a contradiction of it plastered into view for the public, for her parents, and  _against_ him.

She relieved him of the need to explain by cradling the sides of his face in her paws and pressing her lips to his, as if to say,  _it's okay_. _I understand_. "Remember this," she did say, aloud, and she kissed him once more. "This is real. This is me. This is us." she kissed him again, and he felt her lip tremble this time because tears took over again and forced her voice to break when she continued to speak. " _This_ is the truth. That I love you."

This time, Nick buried his muzzle under Judy's chin, breathing in her scent from her neck and shoulders, and trembling a bit as he attempted to steady said breathing. He needed to remember  _this_ , and  _her_ , and  _everything_ he could that would help him. The feigning wouldn't be permanent. Nick forced an empty chuckle as his mouth somehow managed to continue forming words, despite the frozen state of the rest of his body. "Just remember:  _it's called a hustle, sweetheart_."

"We'll hustle them good," Judy let out a tiny laugh, as well, but they both knew neither of them  _really_ felt any amusement. "You won't back out, right?"

"Never," Nick nodded. " _That_ , I can promise. You're stuck with that." He paused. "Unless you—"

"Never," Judy echoed. "You're stuck with me, too."

The way Judy's phone vibrated, next, in her pocket against both their bodies, felt like an attack. A brutal message:  _You're done._

Judy's hesitance showed through the way she couldn't quite let go, even while she pulled away. She held on to his neck, his shoulders, the folds of his clothing. His sleeves. His paws. "My parents, I..." His fingertips. Until she did pull away, forcing her heart down like an anchor that sunk immediately. There was no question about who it had anchored to. "I need to go."

"Then go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you have killed me if I started the story with the line, "it's hoppening"?
> 
> Enjoy the angst!
> 
> Please leave any comments and/or constructive criticism to let me know what I could improve!


	2. Trust Me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where trust is the most vital key to their survival. Mid-canon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so the next chapter of my other fic, _A Season Apart_ , is taking a bit longer than I thought it would, so here's something I hope you can enjoy in the meantime! 
> 
> It's short, but not something I thought I should drag out any longer than this. Enjoy!

"Trust me, Nick. Speed. Up."

It seemed crazy how quickly the two progressed from mocking one another and moving forward with only threats and blackmailing to a quite life-threatening train (was it still called a train when they were in a single car?) ride in which they had to rely closely on one another. And how her request seemed absolutely _terrible_ , yet Nick knew her instincts were what led them to safety before (When she ignored his request to _not_ let go of the vine back in the Manchas chase? He was glad, in the end).

And Judy knew that she was asking something to which most sane mammals would not be able to agree. To speed up directly toward an oncoming train? She didn't know whether that train held cargo or passengers, but there were a few souls on board regardless. In addition to their own lives, they'd be jeopardizing the lives of who-knew-how-many others.

Yet, of all mammals, she knew he'd agree. She knew that if he didn't, they'd have to think of another plan, and she knew that they wouldn't have time for that. Not a good plan. But they wouldn't have to worry. Nick would trust her, and he would listen. She knew.

And he did.

The next plan seemed much harder.

"Okay, I know this sounds crazy," Nick spoke while gesturing with his paws. "But let's just— let's stick the blueberries in the gun. They're about the same size as the serum, see?" He took the serum bullet and dropped it into his shirt pocket, simultaneously sticking a few blueberries in the serum's original place within the gun. "There. We'll run out, but if... if they shoot me, I... can you trust me?"

Judy didn't miss a beat. "You know I trust you, Nick."

"This is different," Nick realized they needed to move quickly, so he already began helping her stand up, situating her against his body so he could help her run. "We need to get caught, get a confession... I might need to act like I'm going savage." He exhaled slowly. "Like I might actually attack you."

Pointing to a strange nearby figure, then to an empty spot a few feet from them, Judy changed the subject momentarily. "Let's put that barbarian bunny over there." They worked together to shove it into place, then Judy grabbed the case while bracing herself against the fox. "Nick, I know. I trust you." She paused. "It needs to be convincing, so don't hold back. Corner me, even. The May—Bellwether has to think you _will_ attack." The bunny looked up at Nick for a moment, practically staring into his damn soul with her big, radiant eyes. "Whatever you need to do. Shove me, growl, pretend to bite. Make her believe it. Just... if I—"

"Do you really trust me?" Nick needed to know, needed her _not_ to feel threatened if and when they put on such an act. Needed her to believe him, the real him, the one that stood before her, beside her, right in this moment. "I can't do this if you don't. And I understand if you can't, I mean this whole thing is so—"

"I trust you," Judy nodded. They were moving as they spoke, albeit a bit slowly, as they were trying to stay quiet enough not to reveal that the bunny diversion wasn't them. "I _promise_ that I trust you. Trust me."

So he did, once again.

She only needed to plead for his trust one more time.

"Are you _sure_ about this?" Nick scratched at the back of his neck, staring straight ahead to avoid eye contact. She still braced against him, and they were waiting for the Chief to return from his office and speak to them. "I mean, it was only a few months ago that they made it clear they don't trust foxes."

"I'm sure," Judy nodded. "Remember what I said? It would be nice to have a partner." She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them to find Nick's staring back at her. "And I meant you. We make a great team."

"We do," Nick put his free paw in his pocket, and Judy heard his tail brushing back and forth across the floor. Like he was anxious. "But my background, the fox thing..." He let out a heavy sigh and stared at the ground. Tail twitched, nose twitched, ears flattened, then straightened, then flattened again. "Maybe it's too late." Only a moment of silence, and then he spoke more. "I haven't... exactly been the type of mammal cut out for police work. And they have every reason to say no. To reject me. I wouldn't blame them. And then—"

"Please, Nick," Judy put her paw on his opposite shoulder, and he turned to meet her gaze once again. "It'll be fine. You'll make a great officer. Trust me?"

It was a little crazy. But he knew he did, and he knew that this time, when he pulled her in for a hug, there wouldn't be any turning back.

"Yeah. I trust you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'll be updating this much more in the near future, as my other fanfiction comes to a close.


	3. Serendipity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Texting the wrong phone number sucks. Right? Maybe not. Judy knows from experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BEEN FOR E VER since I've posted anything, and I hate that. But! I'm finally here with something new, along with plans for other things in the works. Enjoy!

`**Judy:** So stop being an utter, mud-eating _jerk_.`

Aboard a train back to Savanna Central, Judy Hopps held her phone in her lap as she tried to regain her composure. It wasn't often that she got into a fight with a sibling, despite the sheer number of brothers and sisters she had, but once in a while, things escalated. Normally, she could keep things under fairly good control, but in this particular quarrel, her sister, Mary, just couldn't _resist_ putting down her choice of careers. It had occurred one too many times, and enough was enough.

Judy laid her head back and closed her eyes, eager for some rest after the torrent of less-than-pleasant text messages she'd sent her sister. Most of the drama had happened throughout this particular visit of hers back to Bunnyburrow, but having to catch her train, she decided to resolve things by texting and finishing up later. (Phone calls were out of the question, as she didn't care for bothering other passengers with what would certainly be a loud conversation.) Sometimes, she didn't realize just how much energy a digitized conversation could require, however.

Lulled into a half-sleep by the movement of the train and the gentle chatter around her, Judy relaxed.

The vibration of her phone startled her a few moments later. She hadn't been expecting a quick reply from this particular sister of hers. Then again, she'd never texted her before, but a lot of her siblings were pretty bad at texting, so no matter who it was, she wouldn't have expected—

` **Mary:** I believe you have the wrong number. "Mud-eating jerk", though? Never heard that one. `

" _Cheese and crackers!_ "

A few heads turned in Judy's direction, and her ears flattened in embarrassment. How could this happen? She quickly deleted the number from Mary's entry in her contact list, but she hesitated before deleting the conversation. Despite the fact that this was a _total_ stranger, she felt that she owed this mammal an apology.

`**Judy:** Oh my gosh, I'm SO, so sorry. That wasn't meant for you at all, I just had a fight with my sister Mary and she couldn't stop harassing me about being a police officer since she thinks bunnies can't be cops so I got a little worked up and you didn't need to see all that.`

And perhaps she should have calmed down _before_ replying, instead of ranting just a little bit more. She had no idea who she was texting, and seeing as this complete stranger probably didn't want to get involved in some family drama, it was a bit too much information.

`**Unknown:** A bunny cop, huh? Haven't heard that one, either.`

Definitely too much information.

`**Judy:** Yeah, not common, I know.`

`**Unknown:** But intriguing. How's that working out for you?`

`**Judy:** Should I be honest here, or ?`

Things hadn't been great, if Judy was being honest with herself. She'd been on the force for half a year, now, and most of her assignments were paperwork or mundane tasks. Parking duty had taken up the first month or so. She'd jumped at a couple bigger cases, but those had ended up solved before she could do any real work on them. It didn't exactly boost her confidence, but she kept going in hopes that she would eventually move up and feel like she was really making the world a better place. But to dump all that on a kind stranger?

`**Unknown:** Go for it, Carrots.`

Scratch that last thought. A _rude_ , stereotype-minded stranger.

`**Judy:** Excuse me?`

`**Unknown:** Carrots. You know, since you're a bunny, and bunnies eat carrots. You do eat carrots, right?`

`**Judy:** You will refrain from calling me that.`

`**Unknown:** Sure, Carrots. You never answered my question.`

_Breathe,_ Judy reminded herself, irritated that this stranger insisted on using such a nickname. Though she still didn't know who this was and whether she should tell the stranger what was going on, she knew honesty was the best policy.

`**Judy:** Not great.`

`**Unknown:** Why's that?`

`**Judy:** It's a long story.`

`**Unknown:** I've got time.`

Taking a glance around her, as if the mammals surrounding would know what was going on, Judy breathed slowly in and out, debating whether she should actually admit her troubles. But while she was being honest with herself, she hadn't really found anyone yet who she could talk to about things, and the invitation would be hard to turn down. So she accepted.

Diving into a brief summary of what happened since she'd joined the force, beginning with her weeks of meter maid duty and continuing with months of low-excitement tasks, Judy explained her situation. It felt good to vent about it, to admit that she wasn't as happy as she fronted to her family. To explain things that were hurting her to someone completely separated from the situation. Talking to her coworkers wouldn't work out, since she didn't want them feeling guilty somehow. But this was finally _someone_ she could confide in.

Of course, she left out personal details and any names and such, but the gist of her story was there. By the time she finished explaining things, her train had arrived at Savanna Central Station.

Tucking the phone into her pocket with plans to check it once she got home, Judy hopped off the train. Her apartment was cramped and dusty, but she'd slowly been able to turn it into a place she could call home. Despite its greasy walls and noisy neighbors, the apartment felt safe. She knew she could count on feeling comfortable there at the end of the day, and that meant a lot after moving two hundred miles from her family.

Once she changed into pajamas and settled in for the evening, Judy finally checked on her phone.

Only to find that she had no new messages.

This wasn't unusual in any way, but she had to admit she felt slightly unsettled by getting no response to the rather personal messages she'd sent. Should she follow up? How could she know the stranger wasn't just showing her story to all their friends? Maybe laughing about her being a bunny cop? How could she do something so dumb?

Right now she felt okay, but would she regret it later?

In spite of the cloud of worries, the bunny drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A series of gentle vibrations woke her the next morning, half an hour before her alarm would ring. Judy thought of ignoring it to sleep more, but remembering the previous day's conversation, she reached over to her phone and couldn't fight off the smile that tugged at her cheeks when she read the messages.

`**Unknown:** Sorry, fell asleep.`

`**Unknown:** Well, Carrots, life ducks, doesn't it?`

`**Unknown:** ... sucks*`

`**Unknown:** ... but hang in there.`

Of course, she couldn't help but giggle at the typo. Even though it seemed like the stranger was a bit of a jerk, there was some kind of soft spot there. Rolling over to lay on her stomach, Judy propped herself up on a pillow while thinking of how to reply.

* * *

The next few weeks passed with quite a few conversations with the unknown mammal. She never got them to drop the annoying nickname (but if she was still being honest, it was growing on her), and the stranger seemed to hold off on replying at the worst of times just to worry her. Except, despite any of that, the mammal seemed kind. Understanding. She shared a lot, but sometimes, she realized she didn't know much about the other mammal, yet.

`**Judy:** So what's your story?`

`**Unknown:** Once upon a time, a lamb named Woolielocks stumbled upon an abandoned house. She found three bowls of porridge, and while one was too hot and a second too cold, the third was just right.`

`**Judy:** Har har. You know what I mean. We've talked a lot, but I don't know much about you.`

`**Unknown:** Well, I don't know if you can handle how impressive my life has been.`

`**Judy:** Haven't you seen how great mine is? I can handle it!`

`**Unknown:** Kidding. There's not a lot to know. You'd be disappointed.`

`**Judy:** Try me.`

The stranger waited the entire afternoon to reply to that one. She didn't mind too much, particularly since her boss, Police Chief Bogo, had assigned her a mountain of paperwork to complete. But the silence did make her worry she'd been pushing too much. Until the reply came.

`**Unknown:** I live and work in Zootopia, if that counts for anything.`

`**Judy:** It does!! I work in Zootopia, too!`

Judy was already leaving work when the exchange took place, and then a thought occurred to her. She hadn't necessarily expected the potential friend to be so near (when she'd looked up the mistyped area code, she found out the number was from somewhere in the Meadowlands), and the idea of meeting the mammal sounded like a good one. It was exciting, meeting new friends, and their conversations had always eased her mind so far.

`**Judy:** Why don't we meet up? It'd be cool to talk face-to-face.`

`**Unknown:** No.`

The quickness of this rejection brought a frown to Judy's face and a dose of disappointment. It shouldn't have hurt her so much, but she didn't like the feeling of being denied her request so _quickly_. The mammal followed up soon after.

`**Unknown:** Sorry. That just won't work, Carrots. Nothing personal. Just don't ask again.`

She didn't.

* * *

`**Judy:** I'm having a rough night.`

`**Unknown:** Run out of carrots?`

`**Judy:** Ha.`

`**Unknown:** Sorry. What's wrong?`

`**Judy:** Long story.`

`**Unknown:** I have time, Carrots.`

`**Judy:** Thank you.`

* * *

Most nights, Judy started the conversations. The stranger didn't seem too social, and that was okay with her. The mammal was rather reserved, it seemed, and didn't want to reveal too much about themself. She would learn bits and pieces here and there, but most of the support seemed to be coming from the stranger when she was struggling with work or feeling homesick. A few times, she thought the stranger seemed upset, seeing that he didn't tease as much or would type differently, but it took a lot of prodding for even the smallest admission of a less-than-perfect mood.

So when the confidance came easier one day, it caught Judy off-guard.

`**Judy:** No teasing, today?`

She had just made an offhand comment about running out of carrots to eat, and she didn't realize the obvious teasing material until after having sent her message. Immediately after, Judy had realized her blunder, readying herself for being on the receiving end of whatever may be coming her way. But nothing happened, and that was more worrying than anything.

`**Unknown:** Nope.`

The bunny waited, giving the other mammal time in case they wanted to explain. But no explanation came. Only silence. The low buzz of her desk lamp, the crickets chirping outdoors, and her neighbors loudly arguing next door, all of it brought sound to her ears, but the room felt silent without hearing from the stranger.

`**Judy:** What's wrong?`

Did something happen? Well, clearly, _something_ did. But what? Was the stranger okay? They were okay enough to text, but were they _actually_ okay?

`**Unknown:** I can't tell you, but thank you. For caring.`

The response brought a bit of disappointment. Did the stranger not trust her? That thought made her a bit angry. She'd trusted the stranger with so much of her own personal feelings and experiences. Wasn't she worth some trust, at least? But maybe it wasn't about trust. Judy took a deep breath. At least the stranger was admitting to not being okay, instead of hiding that. That was improvement.

`**Judy:** I'm here to listen, if you need to talk.`

The best she could do was offer, right? The stranger had listened to her countless times by that point, and the least she could do was return the deed. Or be there if she ever needed to.

`**Unknown:** I can't think clearly enough. But thank you.`

Judy began typing up a reply, ready to reassure the stranger that having trouble thinking clearly was normal when upset. That there wasn't anything wrong with that, that it was okay. Okay not to share, okay not to know what to say. Reassurance. She wanted to give reassurance, but her reply was cut short by an additional message.

`**Unknown:** It's new, to matter to someone.`

She felt something squeeze her heart. It was something she always took for granted, _mattering_ to someone. Her family was over two hundred bunnies large and growing, so rarely did she ever have a shortage of support. Then how could this stranger _not_ matter? After all the help she'd gotten from the mammal, she could see they were kind at heart.

`**Judy:** You matter. Of course you do. You matter to me.`

It wasn't much, but she had to say it.

`**Unknown:** Thank you.`

* * *

`**Judy:** You know, I still don't know your name.`

There wasn't a reply for a while. She was off work and putting together a dinner for herself that consisted of a microwave lasagna meal and some fresh vegetables from her family's recent care package. After dinner, she still hadn't gotten a reply. This time, she wanted to persist, just a little, though. Her friend deserved a name.

`**Judy:** I'm Judy Hopps.`

She wanted her message to feel inviting, wanted it to make her friend feel comfortable sharing a name since she had finally shared her own. Perhaps the stranger had looked into her name already, but if so, she had no inkling of it. At the very least, maybe the text could let the other mammal know that she was comfortable with them. Entirely.

The reply didn't come until the next morning.

`**Unknown:** Nick Wilde.`

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Berserker88 for beta-reading this for me! Check out his fanfiction too, "Born to be Wilde," which is on fanfiction.net.
> 
> And thank you all for reading! I'll post much more soon, since I finally am on break from school :')


	4. Hesitance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Not everyone wants to put out their gifts in the morning. And also, not everyone goes for flowers! There are tons of other things mammals give out on Valentine's Day."_
> 
> In which Nick and Judy don't yet have an established relationship. Post-movie, Nick and Judy both as officers.

_Flowers_. On her desk. In the middle of the ZPD office.

Until that point, she'd completely forgotten about the fact that it was _Valentine's Day_ , of all days, and that was something she'd quite gladly pushed out of her mind. The card on the flower bouquet was at least plain and clear, to take out any ridiculous questioning, noting that the flowers were from Officer Trunkaby. Judy _had_ gotten the elephant a birthday present a while back, so it seemed the colleague was just returning the favor, in a way. The flowers were certainly beautiful, too, though beginning to wilt. The wilting was so subtle, however, that Judy guessed she only noticed it because of her expertise in plants. She caught Francine's eye and mouthed a "thank you" before setting the flowers neatly to the side of her desk.

" _Someone_ 's popular."

The voice made Judy jump, having not heard Nick come up behind her. He'd gone to the break room to get coffees, and she turned to see him with a coffee in each paw.

"Slick Nick," Judy rolled her eyes, brushing her own paws down the length of her ears in an attempt to settle herself. "I'm not. They're from Francine." She took the coffee that Nick offered her, and stared at the cup for a moment. "It's Valentine's Day, so..." Something about just _verbally_ addressing the holiday made her stomach twist up, but she took a sip of her drink in attempt to ignore it.

"I knew that," Nick slid into his seat beside hers and took a gulp of his coffee. "Still means you're popular, clearly. No one else has flowers on their desk."

"Yet," Judy corrected. "Not everyone wants to put out their gifts in the morning. And also, not everyone goes for flowers! There are tons of other things mammals give out on Valentine's Day."

"Does that mean you have someone special you're thinking of today?" A smug grin was already set on his face when she looked up at him. "Let me guess— one of the night shift officers?"

" _No_ , Nick," Judy resisted the urge to roll her eyes again, as she handed Nick his share of the paperwork she'd picked up from the Chief. "Anyway, we need to get to work. Chief Bogo put us on desk duty, today." She turned to her own work, feeling particularly self-conscious, though she couldn't quite place _why_. Still, the bunny picked up a pen and started on her stack of papers.

It would be a long day.

* * *

Every once in a while, Nick would steal a glance at his partner.

It wasn't _fair_ of him to feel disappointed at the fact that she'd just brushed the holiday off, especially since he hadn't exactly brought anything for her that day, but some part of him was unreasonably put off. The fact that he wasn't sure whether bringing a gift for her would be appropriate was, itself, frustrating enough to give him a headache. How would she even take it? They worked together daily, and it felt wrong to not get her some kind of appreciation gift, but the potential of things getting _awkward_ was too huge.

He didn't want that.

Yet he found himself looking at Judy more frequently than usual, noticing details he formerly hadn't and questioning far more than necessary. Her eye's definitely _sparkled_ in the light coming in from the windows, for example, and he wondered how he hadn't noticed how her nose twitched with excitement each time she finished up one page of paperwork. Was it weird to notice these things? Should he have noticed them _earlier_? What did it mean if noticing these things made him feel like he was going to lose his shit because it lingered on his mind when he was supposed to be continuing his paperwork?

 _Snap out of it._.

Shaking his head, Nick returned to the form he was filling out, detailing updated information on a case one of the officer groups was working on. Something about a theft, and... hell, was Judy's scent always so _strong_? There was something a little different about it, perhaps, that Nick couldn't recognize. Something _appealing_. Which was ridiculous: this was his _partner_. His best friend. The one mammal he could always count on, and...

Someone he needed.

* * *

Expecting something from him was terrible of her. She wouldn't _say_ she expected something, exactly. But each time Nick spoke up and only asked for some clarification on the forms he was working on, she found some sort of disappointment rise up. And that happened annoyingly more often than ever, on this particular day, so Judy found herself in a rather agitated state.

And that was uncalled for. But happened anyway. She couldn't help it. So she found her answers getting shorter and shorter when her partner did ask questions, and the confusion on his face was less than subtle.

"Ready to go home already, Carrots?" Nick poked her ear with the eraser end of a pencil, something he did sometimes when he'd make teasing comments. "That's not like you."

Sighing, Judy turned her head away in hopes that Nick wouldn't read whatever unpleasant expression was on it. "I am," she admitted, fumbling with the corner of the current paper she was filling out. Her words were quiet, but she added, "I'm ready to go."

* * *

He wanted to ask her to spend time with him that day.

It wasn't necessarily fair of him to ask, since that would probably put her in a weird position. Work was exhausting, and if she didn't want to, then he knew she'd feel guilty about saying no. She didn't need to spend time with him, by any means, and he didn't want to put pressure on her to decide whether or not spending more than their eight hour shift together was appealing. Her mood was clearly less than optimum, as well, and he guessed something was on her mind.

But with how readily she admitted she wanted to leave, wanted to go home in the middle of _work_ , which she was crazy about, the realization occurred to him that he wouldn't be okay with not giving it a shot. The idea of just going their separate ways that day, not doing anything particularly special, sort of... felt more wrong than anything.

So he knew. He had to ask.

* * *

"Do you want to go to dinner tonight?"

Nick had asked the question right when they were about to clock out, and of course, Judy stuttered out an agreement of sorts. That earned her some extra teasing, but in the end, they agreed on meeting at a cozy restaurant in a neat corner of the city around 6 o'clock. Judy had spent the trip home wondering what in the world it even _meant_ , other than just a friend date. _Did_ it mean anything else? This was her best friend, no argument there, and she always enjoyed spending time with him, as he did with her.

So that meant it wasn't too significant, right? Even if they rarely went out to dinner in the evening _way past_ work and the one day he asked just _happened_ to be on Valentine's Day. That was just a coincidence. It had to be.

The fact that this was just a friend dinner thing meant that in no way did she need to be as nervous as she was thinking about the whole thing. She'd shared _plenty_ of meals with the fox. And sure, she may have found her thoughts wandering toward the fox a _little_ bit, each time that day when she heard something about Valentine gifts being passed out, but that was also unintended. An accident. She had no good reason to think of Nick, other than that he was her best friend, and best friends also gave out best friend appreciation gifts on Valentine's Day. And dinner counted as some kind of best friend appreciation Valentine thing, too. For sure!

That somehow didn't keep her heart from feeling extra heavy in her chest when she arrived at the restaurant, though. And it didn't keep her from doing a double take when Nick walked up dressed in what could only be described as a _handsome_ suit. And that was totally wrong, so she erased the thought from her mind immediately and smiled at her friend. She certainly felt underdressed however, having only worn a warm sweater and slacks.

"Hey," she grinned, elbowing him in the side softly. "Looking to impress a vixen here, or something?"

He barked out a laugh. "'Course not, Carrots." Opening the door to the restaurant, Nick gestured in. "After you."

The restaurant was dimly lit and filled with various pairs of mammals, presumably celebrating the holiday. A few families were also scattered here and there, and this gave Judy some hope that they might be able to blend in well enough without being called out as a _couple_ or anything like that. (The idea made her stomach do some sort of weird flip, but she ignored it.) Nick answered the deer hostess, who asked how many were in their party, and the two were lead by the doe to a booth in a corner.

Sliding into her seat and immediately beginning to look through the menu when presented with one, Judy found that the options were abundant (and plentiful enough to keep her distracted from the weird ache in her stomach). She smiled at that, and looked up at Nick.

He was already looking at her, and her _heart_ did something strange when she noticed that.

"I'll be right back," Judy excused herself, slowly getting up. "Um. Bathroom."

She didn't wait for a response.

* * *

Once Judy returned to her seat, the meal went fairly smoothly. She did appear rather distracted, Nick noticed, and that worried him a bit. But they both found a dish they liked, the wait time wasn't too long, and they were able to chat about the usual topics, as always.

Yet it felt incomplete, and Nick had a feeling that he wasn't the only one who thought so. He may have been imagining it, but he did feel his read on other mammals, particularly Judy, was fairly accurate, so the disappointed vibes he was getting from his partner every so often were probably _not_ fabricated by his mind. He didn't know exactly what may have caused the disappointment, of course, that would be impossible to know, but all the accidental eye contact? The fact that he could _hear_ her heart racing a tad faster than usual, even for her? The hint of discomfort when they glossed over some sort of mention of their "friendship"?

She probably had the same sort of thing going on in her mind that he did.

"Any dessert for you two, tonight?" The antelope waitress who had been serving them once again stopped by after seeing the two were reaching the end of their meals.

"N—"

"We'll think about it, thank you," Nick shot Judy an apologetic glance as he cut the bunny off, aiming to bargain for more time. More time to talk to her, figure stuff out... _something_. And part of him had to admit that the pout on her face was rather endearing.

The antelope left, and Nick noticed Judy's nose was twitching faster than usual. Out of excitement or irritation, he couldn't tell. But given the situation, he assumed it was the latter.

"I think..." Nick began, stalling a bit by glancing around the room to avert his eyes. He took a deep breath and looked back at Judy. "There's something we should talk about."

The thing about Judy's stare, when she was looking Nick directly in the eyes, was that it was  _ powerful _ . Her eyes sparkled, for sure, and there was definitely a mesmerizing quality to them that Nick hadn't noticed anywhere otherwise. So his breath caught a bit when he caught her staring at him along with a scent of some mixture of fear and... hope.

And yet he had no idea how to begin.  _ "Hey, there might be something going on here" _ was way too vague, though it described his thoughts perfectly. _ "I know that we're partners, but you're gorgeous and attractive," _ was definitely out of the question. And ridiculous, no matter how true it was. He wouldn't be surprised if she just walked out on him after something like that.

"What is it?" Judy's voice interrupted his thought process, making him realize that he was taking way too long to say anything. Her voice sounded rather timid, though, uncharacteristically so, and he realized that basically saying  _ "we need to talk" _ probably hadn't been the best approach. He needed to figure out what to say.

So he started with an apology.

"First off," he began, clearing his throat to try to reset himself. "I'm sorry that this is kind of... small. You know you deserve much more for Valentine's Day, and I certainly didn't deliver."

Judy raised an eyebrow at that. "You want to apologize?" She shook her head. "There's nothing to apologize for, Nick. It's not like you owe me, I mean, we're—"

"Friends," Nick easily finished her sentence. She nodded, confirming that he did so correctly. "I know, I don't  _ owe _ you," He fidgeted with the napkin in his lap for a moment. Pause. Deep breath. Looking back up at her, he continued. "But I think… I need to do more for you."

Just as Judy opened her mouth to presumably reply, the antelope returned with a dessert menu for the pair. "I'll come back in a few moments if you'd like some time to decide."

Quickly glimpsing over the short menu, his mind still occupied with his and Judy's conversation, Nick found the first dessert that stood out to him. "Actually, can we get the carrot pudding?" He handed the menu back to the antelope, who nodded and walked back off to the next table she was helping.

Judy cleared her throat, then, bringing Nick's attention back to her (though it would have immediately returned to the bunny either way). "So, you think you need to do more?" Judy echoed his words.

She paused, and Nick held off on saying anything, giving her time to process. It made him nervous, he had to at least admit to himself, but he couldn't rush her, either. Though it was impossible not to wonder what she was making of the whole thing. His mind flipped through a number of possibilities before she finally spoke again.

"Why?"

The question threw him off. He  _ knew _ why, but he didn't even think he wanted it to be the truth. It was too complicated, too  _ different _ from everything before. Yet it was inevitable, wasn't it? "I really—"

"One carrot pudding," the waitress returned, cutting into the conversation momentarily. The antelope seemed oblivious to any stress in the situation. "Please enjoy."

"Thank you," Nick tried not to let his irritation show through, but the interruption had already forced him to lose track of the words he'd  _ intended _ to say. Nudging the dessert toward Judy instead, the fox went along with the distraction. "Try it, Carrots."

She hesitated, her gaze lingering on Nick's face for a moment longer than it might normally, but she tried a bite of the pudding, and her face lit up. Judy, however, wasn't one to let the conversation get sidetracked. Before taking another bite, she prodded. "Tell me, though. What makes you think you need to do more for me?"

Nick once again took a deep breath. This wouldn't be easy, but it needed to be done, right? "I don't want any of this to put you off. Every time I see you, it's..." He couldn't figure out the right words, and looked away a moment, as if that would reduce any of the tension in his gut. It didn't. Nick breathed out slowly. "Point is, I … we've spent a lot of time together." He cleared his throat, watching her take slowly scrape a bit more of the carrot pudding into her spoon, as if she thought moving too fast would stop him from talking. This brought a hint of a smile to his face. "And it's not just our time together, it's also our conversations, and really everything else." Another deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is, you mean a lot to me. A  _ lot _ . And... You know that, right?"

It felt like a million seconds passed before Judy responded. He saw her breath in deeply, stare down at the remainder of the pudding for a moment. "I... think so," she spoke softly, still looking down at the plate. A handful of extra seconds passed before she looked up and spoke again. "What does it feel like, then?" She hesitated before continuing, but being Judy Hopps, she wasn't about to stop there. "When you see me? Or when we spend time together?"

That kind of question wasn't one he'd been prepared for at all. He'd spent so much time avoiding revealing  _ too much _ about how he felt (or  _ any _ , to mammals other than Judy). It was hard to remind himself to be honest. To stop hiding. But when he found himself again trapped in Judy's gaze, unable to look away, no longer even  _ wanting _ to hide, he realized he could do it.

"I feel safe," he admitted, and his words came out more quietly than anything he remembered saying before. Gentle. "Safe and  _ happy _ ." Another steady breath. "And at home."

She didn't reply right away. Nick couldn't look away, not this time, and he noticed a gleam in her eyes that wasn't quite there before. "Well, Nick," her words shook at first, but she settled them quickly. "You know I feel the same, right?"

Relief flooded from Nick's chest in a breath. He hadn’t truly expected any other answer, but hearing it aloud was perfect. "Do I know that?" He leaned into the table a bit, a small grin tugged at the corners of his lips, and he could tell Judy was fighting off one of her own. "Yes. Yes, I do."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Found out it was **AngloFalcon** 's birthday birthday on Friday, so I asked him if there was any WildeHopps he wanted to see written. So I wrote this— happy birthday! (He also has fanfiction up on fanfiction.net, so go take a look!)
> 
> Huge thank you to **thoseotherthings** for helping me out with this! Check out her fic "Boys Like You," if you haven't yet. Or any of her other fics. Seriously.


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